Animal trap



- C. w. COGHILL AIIIIALTRAP Filed July io: 1926 'uw COCHILL Patented Feb. 22, l1921.

. UNITED STATI-:s PATENT vOFFICE.

cHAnLns w. coGHILL, or FAIRBUBY, NEBRASKA, AssIeNon or ONE-HALF To cHAnLns H. WELLS, or

ENnIcotr'r, NEBRASKA. f

ANIMAL TRAP.

Application led July 10,

.10 object to so construct'the trap attachment that, esca e of the mouse is impossible and so that t e mouse When making eii'orts to escape will be perplexed at finding escape to bev impossible-when it appears to be eas Having in view these objects and otiers which will be pointedv out in the following description, 'I will now refer to the drawings, `in which- Figure 1 is a View in perspective of the mouse trap attachment for Mason jars, a

portion being broken away to disclose theA structure of the trap door. i Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the Mason jar, its\"cap and my trap attachment. Figure 3 is a perspective View showing the assembled relation of the three parts shown in Figure 2. Y h

Figure 4 is a view in perspective oi the trap attachment showing the manner 1n 30 whlch a mouse enters the funnel.

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the manner in which the mouse leaves the funnel in its unsuccessful attempt to escape.

Figure 6 is astrip showing the entire trap in diagrammatic form and showing all the movements lof a mouse from the time when it approaches the trap until after `its first attempt to escape. n

The Mason jar 10 as shown. in Figure 2 4o serves as the chamber in which the live mouse is trapped. Such jars at present are obtainable in the square form shown in the figures and this form'is somewhat better adapted for use as a mouse trap than the more common round form. When a round Mason jar is employed, provision must be made for prevent-ing the turning or rolling of the jar when it rests on its side. The cap shown at 11 is also readily obtainable to fit all Mason 5o jars. This cap consists only of a screwthreaded collar with an inwardly directed annular flange having a large central opening. In its use as a ca for the Mason jars, a i closure is provide for the central opening-v in` the plate 14a.

1926. serial no. lanen.

of the cap but this closure is not used with my mouse .trap'attachment The mouse trap attachment consists mainvly of va disc 12 having a diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the collar ofy the cap 11 and of a funnel 13 with a trap the material is curved over t e upper end of the funnelfto constitute a shieldpl. The trap door is `Vbest shown in Figure 1 and it consists offzga-"metal 14a which is 'secured at`x14b' tothe funnel 13.9.11 of Wire dpivotally extensions 14whieh ^pass through: a ertures in the lower upturned edge of the p ate 14. 'lhe `wire extensions are U-shaped and are secured atv their upper ends in loops formed The construction 0f the trap door is such that it combines strength with extreme lightness. The trap door is' normally held by gravity in its closed position with the ends of the wire extensions touching the loor of the funnel 13. The upper wall of the funnel 13 is provided with an aperture at 16 for purposes which will be subsequently explained.

'lhe trap is asembled in the manner indicated 4in 4`igures 2 and 3. The trap attachment may be appliediirst tol either the Mason jar with the disc 12 covering the opening of the jar or to the cap 11 with the disc I12 seated therein and against the inturned annular flange. screwed into place on the jar for holding the trap attachment rigidly in its operative position.

In use, the trap is baited by placing the bait anywhere in the Mason jar. The mouse enters through the aperture in the disc 12 and passes into and through the funnel 13 as shown in Figure 4. The trap door ofers but very slight resistancek and is readily opened 4by a mouse as it passes through the funnel from the outside. The wire extensions 14C do not obstruct the .mouses View oi' the interior of the trap, so that the mouse has no occasion for. alarm. After the mouse passes out of the `tunnel into the jar, the trap door falls by gravity into the position shown in Figure l'and thus prevents the escape of the mouse. The funnel 13 seems, however, to

offer a means of escape and the mouse onv the first alarm will seize upon this asl an The cap 11 is then lou yfind itselt' againk in the jar.

exit. The trap door 14 remains closed and the mouse in passingJ through the funnel merely travels over t e trap door until it reaches the a erture 16 of the funnel. The mouse goes t rough this aperture only to Mice have been observed to go round and round through the aperture 16 without discovering that the funnel does not offer an exit from the trap. Occasionally a mouse, shrewder than the rest, arrives at the conclusion that escape can be effected by open ing the trap door, If the mouse attempts to do this from a position in the funnel at the end oi. the trap door, it will firi that the door can be lifted only slightly.` I:t' the mouse attempts to leave through the slight opening thus afforded, it must travel against the resistance of the wire extensions lei, the lower ends of which are sharply pointed. Finding escape impossible in'this way, the mouse is apt to attempt to open the trap door from a position above the door. rlhe shield 1li, however, makes it dilicult for the mouse to find a position above the door from which it can work freely and the door can be moved only a sliglitdistance. When the door is o ened from any position-it is certain to all back by gravity immediately after it is released. The opening inovement of the door is of course limited by the upper wall ofthe funnel. This teature is especially important when the trap is to be used forl catching and retaininglr rats and other animals of kinds which are shrewd to a remarkable degree. But for mice especially, the trap as described and illustrated possesses considerable ,fascination. Mice which are released almostiinvariably re-enter the trap, and it has been observed that the same mouse will repeatedly enter the trap as often as it is afforded the opportunity of doing so.

While I have shown and described the trap as designed for use as a mouse trap, I do not wish to be restricted to this use. In a slightly larver size it will be equally as effective for catdhing rats and gophers and other small animals which are not too large to enter a `Mason jar. The trap may, m

neiaaie fact be built large enough for catching the larger animals as Well, but in designing the trap for catching animals as large as rabbits or larger, it is necessary to provide a substitute for the Mason jar. Such a substitute may, of course, be especially designed but in some cases it may be improvised from milk cans or other containers which may happen to be available for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention in such full, `clear, and exact terms that its construction and utility will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United b'tates is: 4

1. An animal trap attachment for containers having an opening, said attachment coinprising a plate for closing the opening of the container, said plate being provided with an opening, an inwardly projecting tunnel secured to said plate in communication with the opening thereof, a gravity closing trap door within said funnel and pivotally se- `cured thereto, said funnel being provided with an aperture in its upper wall adjacent the entrance of said funnel and above said gate, and a shield projecting from said plate and over a portion of the opening iii the upper wall of the said funnel.

2. An animal trap attachment for containi ers having an opening, said attachment coinprising a plate which' is provided with an opening, means for releasably securing said plate to the container with the opening or' said plate communicating with the opening ot' the container, an inwardly projecting funnel secured to lsaid plate in communication with the opening thereof, a gravity closing trap door within said funnel and pivotally secured thereto, said funnel being provided in its upper wall with an opening above said gate, the upper wall of said funnel being adapted to serve as a stop for limiting the.

opening movement of said gate, and a shield integral with and projecting from said plate and over a portion or' the opening in the `,upper Wall of Said funnel.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

CHARLES W. COGHILL. 

